Lithium Flower
by Four's Fanfiction
Summary: Mettle is trying to come to terms with himself after the battle with Titania and Absorbing man, maybe Jenny can help. Set after #19.


**A/N: Howdy ya'll, can't believe I'm actually uploading two fics in the same week, new record for myself. Anyways I've been a big fan of Marvel Comics since the late 90's, my favorite hero still being Ben Grimm. So about a year ago when Avengers Academy came out I was instantly hooked, Mettle, the hero formerly known as Fortress, is by far my favorite student. This fic takes place after #19 but before #20. Enjoy.**

**Avengers Academy (c) Marvel**

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><p>Mettle let out a long sigh as he landed comfortably on his new bed. The springs gave out a loud whine as they were pushed to their limits, but held together as the giant read teen settled himself. Looking around the temporary room, Mettle wondered how long he and the others were going to be staying here, and when a new Avengers Academy Mansion was going to be built. He had thought that maybe they were going to stay at Avengers Tower, but after having learned what the Thing had done to it...<p>

Letting out a sigh of frustration, Mettle sat up in his bed, finding he couldn't quite rest just yet. It was too soon after the battle with the Serpent, too soon after loosing both their mansion and one of their team mates, and way too soon after having kissed Hazmat. "Man that was awesome." He thought out loud, moving one of his large red fingers to his lipless mouth. Mettle would be lying if he said he didn't want to do more with his little atom bomb, but it was still too soon. No way after having fought an Asgardian leveled enemy would she feel like making out.

Mettle hopped out of bed, making a rather loud thump as his feet hit the floor, and exited his room. He had to find something to get his mind off Hazmat and the things he'd seen. So many lives killed, some of them at his own hands.

Anyone passing by Mettles quarters would find a rather large hole on the wall, just about the size of Mettles fist.

Hazmat was visibly pissed at her current situation, of course her helmet kind of prevented anyone else from noticing this. But the crossing of her arms and the slight curse every few seconds could give someone an idea of how the small Asian was feeling.

Once again, she was stuck a specially quarantined area, basically stuck inside a air tight box with see through glass walls. Pym had said it was the only thing available to keep her radiation from leaking out. She had wanted to be mad at him, but every time she saws his bandaged up hand she remembered how he, and all their other teachers, had come and saved them from certain death. While she was mad, she wasn't mad at him.

Moving her hands to the base of her helmet, Hazmat pressed two buttons on either side, hearing a click and the sound of released air. She removed her helmet and placed it on the make-shift bed they had provided her, while she just continued to walk around her room.

One of the things that had been bugging her was the fact that Ken, Mettle, hadn't showed up after they had been moved to this new location. She remembered seeing him just look so sad and pathetic that she wanted to just hug him with all her might. Now she wanted to punch him in the face for making her worried and having her wait so long. She knew what was bugging him though, all those people who had gotten killed on his watch, and then he himself loosing it and killing two Nazis in a fit of rage. They had all tried telling him that he had done the right thing, but Ken couldn't condone what he had done. It made her sad and proud at the same time, how even taking an enemies life could still shake him so much.

The sound of her rooms air tight doors opening made her turn around, and when she saw that it was Ken she nearly ran up and tackled him. "Where the hell have you been?" She hadn't said it loud, but she could still see it made him cringe slightly.

"Been in my room," He paused eyes down set. "Thinking."

"About?" She asked. Jenny was still mad at him for making her wait so long for him to visit her, but that didn't mean was wasn't worried about him.

"You know what." There was some anger behind his words, but it wasn't directed at her, more at himself. "You know I heard the X-Men were able to stop the Juggernaut?" He moved to Jenny's bed, picking up her helmet and holding it in his large hands. It looked so tiny. "It was Colossus you know, just him. He was able to send the Juggernaut back like 50 miles or something. He protected San Francisco and saved thousands." He paused, his body slouching slightly. "And look at what we did? We got the Mansion destroyed, hundreds of people dead, and the six of us couldn't even hold of two villains." He placed the helmet down, not wanting to crush it in another fit of rage. "I'm a joke Jenny."

"Shut up." Jenny was suddenly right beside him, poking him in the chest with her tiny fingers. "Stop being all Edward Cullen and get over it."

Not many people think a person can produce a frown if they don't have skin, Mettle proved that theory wrong. "Get over it? Jenny I let so many people down! I got them killed, and then I...I murdered..." He looked down at his hands, his big red hands, and wondered if he had really gotten all the blood off.

Jenny's hands were suddenly holding his, and they looked so tiny compared to his. "You stopped-"

"Killed."

"Whatever! You killed two Nazis who, if you hadn't killed them, would've killed lots more people just so they could please some red faced idiot. No offense."

"None taken." Ken sighed, and suddenly found standing to be too exhausting. He sat himself down on the floor but never let go of Jenny's hands. "I know I should stop feeling this way, I mean I know they were evil and stuff, but I just can't help it Jenny, I can't help but think that this might happen again."

Jenny sat down into Kens lap, laughing at his last comment. "Right, because giant Nazi robots being led by an Asgardian level Red She-Skull happens so often."

Ken shook his head, moving his large arms around Jenny and gathering her up in a big hug. "I mean I'm afraid I'm gonna' loose it again, get so angry that I don't even realize that I'm holding a lamp post and chucking it at a guy."

Jenny sighed, easing herself up against Kens chest and trying her best to be comforting. "You know they say Wolverine does that, gets so mad he goes feral or something, and just starts slicing up whatever the source of his anger is."

"That...honestly sounds terrifying." Ken knew he wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of Wolverines claws in any situation, let alone one where the X-Man was in a frenzied state. Ken could feel Jenny's lips on his non-existent ones, feeling a slight buzzing effect that always happened when they kissed. The closest he could come to describing her kisses were like kissing a battery, always packed with energy. "Hey Jenny?"

"Mmm?" She mouthed around their kiss.

"What do...my kisses feel like?"

Jenny blinked through half-lidded eyes, thinking for a moment before smiling. "Like a battery, always packed-"

"With energy." He finished, locking lips with his girlfriend again.


End file.
